Pipe-line strainer



April 12, 1949. o. N. MITCHELL PIPE-LINE STRAINER Filed Jan. 20, 1948 LE H C n M N O [NVENTOR ,2 M Mm;

AT RN EY Patented Apr. 12, 1949 PIPE -LINE STRAINER Ora N. Mitchell,Hawthorne, Calif., assignor to Parkhill-Wade, Los Angeles, Calif., acorporation Application January 20, 1948, Serial No. 3,220

1 Claim.

This invention relates to strainers of the type adapted to be placed inpipe lines for the removal of pipe scale or other solid matter fromflowing liquids, Vapors or gases.

A purpose of the invention is to provide a form of strainer in which thesolids removed from the flowing stream are collected in a perviousreceptacle which may readily be removed for cleaning.

A purpose of the invention is to provide a form of strainer which may beconstructed at a low cost by welding assemblages of stock fittings.

The structure is illustrated in the tWi figures of the attacheddrawings, in which Fig. 1 is a vertical section through the assembledstrainer, and

Fig. 2 is a cross section of the same, taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the figures, the body of the strainer is a plain pipenipple Ill, closed at its upper end by a cap or bull nipple ll,preferably a forging and preferably welded in place. The inlet elementi2 is a 90 bend of pipe of the same diameter as the pipe line in whichthe strainer is to be placed, this element being passed through andwelded to the wall of the body in such position that the downwardlylooking end is centrally disposed within the body while the outwardlylooking end lies in a plane normal to the axis of the body. The outerend of element I2 is provided with a means of attachment to the end of apipe, as illustrated by the half union [3. On the opposite side of thebody an outlet element l4, also a plain pipe nipple, is welded inalignment with the outer end of element 12, the outlet also having ahalf union l5.

A flange I6 having an outside diameter not less than that of body nippleI is welded to the lower end of that element, this flange having aplurality of bolt holes ll. As illustrated, this flange projectsinwardly and the ring of bolt holes is within the circumference of thebody member, but the flange may project outwardly if preferred, bringingthe bolt holes outside the body. Facing this. flange is a flat ring I8of metal to which is attached a cylinder of wire mesh screen. Thiscylinder is illustrated as consisting of an outer layer i 9 of heavy,coarse mesh screen, adapted to resist a high internal pressure, and aninner layer 20 of finer screen of such mesh as will retain the smallestsolid particles which it is desired to remove from the fluid. Thisshowing is illustrative only and the cylinder may be composed of asingle layer or a plurality of layers of screen, according to theconditions of service. If more than one layer is used, the layers shouldfit within each other snugly and the upper end of the inner layer shouldbe of such diameter as to be a neat sliding fit over the downwardlylooking end of inlet L l2, as at 2].

The lower end of body [0 is closed by a plate or blind flange 22detachably retained in position, as for example by stud bolts 23 andnuts 24. If desired, a central opening 25, closed by a plug not shown,may be provided for draining liquid from the body prior to detaching theplate for cleaning the straining element. The collars shown at 26 and 21are optional but are convenient for the attachment of pressure gauges,blowdown connections and the like. The lower end of the screen cylinderis permanently attached to the inner edge of ring I8, as at 28. The ring3 is clamped between plate 22 and flange I'I, suitable gaskets not shownbeing inserted if desired.

This structure has material advantages over forms of pipe line strainerheretofore proposed.

Being constructed of relatively thin and elastic metal, it is not liableto breakage by sudden changes of temperature and will withstandconsiderable distortion without damage. The use of thin metal makes thestructure amenable to assembly by welding, no machining being requiredother than for the facing of the flanges. The direction of flow beingfrom the inside of the wire mesh basket outwardly into the body, thesolids are collected in the basket and maybe withdrawn with it onremoval of the bottom plate. This direction of flow also ensures againstthe collapse of the basket by external pressure in the event of chokingof its meshes. As the wire mesh cylinder is seated on the bottom closureplate, there is no tendency to dislodge or displace the cylinder whenused with the pressure coming inside, and as the-re is no accumulationof solids outside the basket, the inner diameter of the body member needbe only slightly greater than the outer diameter of the screen cylinder.Finally, the screening cylinder itself may be changed, in case of damageor for the substitution of screen of different mesh, in a of time and atsmall cost, being a minor element of the cost of the assembly as awhole.

I claim as my invention:

A pipe line strainer comprising: a cylindrical body member; a capclosing the upper end of said body; an L passing through the side ofsaid body and fastened therein, one end of said L projecting laterallyfrom said body and the other end directed downwardly there-in; a flangeattached to the lower end of said body; a plate arranged to be bolted tosaid flange and closing said lower end; UNITED STATES PATENTS a ring ofmetal clamped between said flange and said plate; a cylinder of Wiremesh attached at 22 gj g 5 its lower end to said ring and arranged atits 1 152831 j g t 9 5 upper end to fit snugly around the downwardly 51273656 Page; July 9 directed end of said L; a nipple laterally pro-1539020 gg hgfi May 1925 jected from the wall of said body in axialalign- 1579205 Blakesla, et a1 Apr 2 ment With the laterally projectingend of said L, 1642863 Williams 927 nd means on the'end of each aid la211 p I u jectio-n for inserting said strainer in a gap formed 10 OREIGNPATENTS in a pipe line. Number Country Dat ORA N. MITCH-ELL- 99s r at,ritain 1894 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record inthe 15 file of this patent:

